Pipe stem is loose.

[Dmitri1516]

Hi guys, my pipe stem is quite loose. Are there any ways I can tighten it ?

Thanks

 

[Chasing Embers]

Hi guys, my pipe stem is quite loose. Are there any ways I can tighten it ?

Thanks

 

[Dmitri1516]

Could I use vaseline and q tips/cotton buds and apply on shank and tenon ?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Could I use vaseline and q tips/cotton buds and apply on shank and tenon ?

That would make it even more loose.

 

[Dyakoff]

Hi guys, my pipe stem is quite loose. Are there any ways I can tighten it ?

Thanks

First try a q-tip soaked with hot water. Don’t use too much water, just get some moisture inside and let it dry. It could help the wood swell out a bit. i should say this method didn’t help me when I tried it, but it’s worth a try since it is probably the least aggressive treatment.

Secondly people advise to use wax as the next least obtrusive method, but I never tried it and personally skipped to the third one.

Third method is kinda foolproof, get some nail polish and apply some on the tenon. Let it dry well (you don’t want it to permanently attach to the mortise).

This would work 100% well. Just be very careful to apply the minimum amount of polish. Start with using twice less than you wish to. You can always reapply more later if you need.
Beautiful thing is, that of you apply too much, you can easily sand it down (have a bit of sanding paper ready) so don’t worry too much. Just take care to avoid clogging the hole!

This should be a permanent solution, although you could need to reapply it again in a year or two (or not)

 

[georged]

For anyone who might not have a stem that needs tuning at the moment, but was attracted by the thread title in the pre-emptive sense, here's the full meal deal regarding stem fit. What's involved in terms of materials and tools to get a pipe truly "back to new", and not just a Band-Aid procedure.

It's more full-blown shop stuff than most people need to know (or have the tools to do), but understanding what's in play is always useful to serious collectors & etc., since stem fit is an ongoing problem with push fit briar pipes. (It's unavoidable because the stummel and stem are made from materials that do not behave the same when subjected to temperature cycling and humidity cycling over an extended period of time.)

Adjusting an Out-Of-Shape Vulcanite Tenon

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[tokerpipes]

Bees wax is good for the rattle if it’s not dramatic. You could also heat the end of the stem and push it down on a flat surface mushrooming the end ever so slightly. It should tighten it up. If it’s to much mushrooming take a pice of Emory or 5000 grit to knock it back down a bit. Careful with the inside mushrooming.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Bees wax is good for the rattle if it’s not dramatic. You could also heat the end of the stem and push it down on a flat surface mushrooming the end ever so slightly. It should tighten it up. If it’s to much mushrooming take a pice of Emory or 5000 grit to knock it back down a bit. Careful with the inside mushrooming.

Heating it is enough to cause expansion. Pressing it deforms the end and can damage the mortise.

 

[tokerpipes]

Heating it is enough to cause expansion. Pressing it deforms the end and can damage the mortise.

This is true. Guess it really depends on how loose it is. It’s worked both ways for me in the past.

 

[sablebrush52]